When I read about Cooking in the Moment by Andrea Reusing, I knew I had to have it. So what does a blogger do? Contact the publisher for a review & giveaway copy!
Clarkson Potter politely obliged, and soon I was drooling over page and pages of beautiful photographs of food and produce. Then I realized the writing was actually really good; something I wanted to read about. She really does capture moments of cooking. For example, “Last day of school, middle of June. Kid-Churned Ice Cream.”
“I think of ‘cooking in the moment’ as focusing on one meal at a time–an icy, spicy cucumber soup on an August night, a glass of tangerine juice on a frosty morning, or soft, braised shortribs with horseradish on a gray fall day. Cooking and eating in the moment allows food in season to become a reason for celebration–a Friday-night dinner made entirely from the first CSA share in spring; a whole week of fresh-picked corn every day; a blue-moon autumn asparagus harvest; a rich stew made with the last few sweet potatoes of winter.” — from the Introduction.
I was prepared not to like the recipes. After all, so few books have stories, photos, AND good recipes. I noticed from the back that she’s a semi-famous chef, so I was prepared for the recipes to be things I’d never make. And then as I was skimming I saw the no-poach poached chicken. Then I saw a couple more recipes I’d actually make. Jackpot!
But don’t take my word for it — I just discovered Scribd, which has a cool preview tool:
Recipes from Cooking in the Moment by Andrea Reusing
On to the Giveaway
To enter, simply comment below sharing one of your favorite cooking moments.
Entries will be accepted until Thursday, April 14, EST. Open to the U.S. only, sorry.
I received a complimentary review copy and all opinions are my own.
Hmm… a favorite cooking moment? I really think I need to create one.
Oh, and Dear Giveaway Gods… some day I’d actually like to win one of these darn things. Please & thank you. 🙂
Hmmmm… a fave cooking moment. How about pie crust falling and making it a win! I rolled out two crusts for a quiche for Mother’s Day a couple years ago. What do you know but the crust in the pan fell and I needed both for my recipe. What did I do? Ran out and bought crust and used the homemade to make pinwheels with butter, cinnamon and sugar. It was and still is a fave treat from when my mom would make a pie. We’d make them with the left over crust. I used it as a brunch HDO and told my Mom and my MIL the story. 🙂
My favorite cooking moment was either making sushi with my Japanese host family the first time I was in Japan (they laughed at me when I licked my fingers afterward – apparently they do not do that…) or making rolls with my grandma (still my all-time favorite thing she makes). 🙂 This book will definitely be mine – whether I win it or buy it, it looks fantastic!
My favorite cooking moment… hmmm… I really do think it’s the simple joy of being together – having daddy help and the littles imitate in their kitchen or insist on helping prepare our meals.
I think one of my favorite cooking moments was this past Thanksgiving. I was organized and prepared and cooking went very smoothly. It was a great day with food and family!
My favorite cooking moment was burning cookies for the first time to a crisp when attempting to impress a boyfriend in middle school. something I won’t forget! now, I am much better off as long as I have a cookbook 🙂
oh goodie, I just read about this book in our local paper because the author is from Chapel Hill, NC (I live in Durham, just next door). I’d love to have this book.
My favorite cooking moment happened when I was in my late teens or early twenties. My mother didn’t like to cook, and I decided I was going to make Thanksgiving Dinner! It was so much fun. My mother was carrying the turkey to the table and it slid off of the platter and when flying across the room. She called the 5 second rule, and we ate it anyway! It was a wonderful dinner – the first time I remember using china. : )
Thanks for this opportunity!
My fave cooking moment? Probably tonight. Since I’ve had cancer, my 68 y.o. husband has been trying to learn to cook and help out. Tonight it was a beef heart en mole recipe he pulled off the internet. (He tries so hard that I don’t try to steer him towards my favorite people…it would just be too much for him.) Supposed to be done in two hours, took five and had very little flavor. Meanwhile, towards the end of his cooking time, I began slicing eggplant to salt it to pull out the moisture so I could prepare a dish for company tomorrow. Cutting them open, I discovered they were TOO awful to use. I can’t do everything last minute (all at once-too long on my feet) for company dinner, so began seasoning his dish. Cumin, garam marsala, onion and garlic powders, and so on, and now it’s pretty tasty. So tomorrow we will cook up extra potatoes and carrots to add to the pot, fix a coleslaw and garlic bread, and call it good. Yep, because it’ll be HIS dish for company, it’s my fave cooking moment. 🙂
My most recent favorite cooking moment was when I discovered that substituting coconut oil for butter in my chocolate chip cookie recipe made the most delicious flavored cookies I have ever made. Thank you for the chance to win!
My favorite cooking moments are when cooking with my four-year-old daughter. She just loves to cook and bake, and delights in telling Daddy she made whatever it is. It is so fun to see her progress in remembering how to measure flour (so the measuring cup contains a full cup) and crack an egg. The funniest moment recently was when I was cooking with my 2- and 1-year-olds. I turned my back to grab the sugar canister, and the 1-year-old somehow managed to flip beaten egg out of the bowl into her hair. When I turned around, it was dripping down her face!